# Dominant Species: Marine

Dominant Species: Marine is a board game for 2–4 players. It plays in 90–150 minutes and is meant for ages 14 and up. Ludoya players call it best with 4. It is rated 7.4 out of 10 by 13 Ludoya reviewers. The cheapest copy in stock is $65.99 (United States).

- **Players:** 2–4 (best with 4)
- **Playing time:** 90–150 minutes
- **Minimum age:** 14+
- **Complexity:** 3.7 out of 5
- **Year published:** 2021
- **Categories:** Animals, Prehistoric, Environmental
- **Mechanics:** Grid Movement, Map Addition, Variable Phase Order, Open Drafting, Tile Placement, Variable Player Powers, Worker Placement, Area Majority / Influence, Hexagon Grid
- **Ludoya rating:** 7.4 out of 10, from 13 reviews
- **Owned by:** 39 Ludoya players
- **Plays logged on Ludoya:** 61
- **Unique players:** 128

**Designers:** Chad Jensen

**Artists:** Tomek Zarucki, Bartek Jędrzejewski, Chad Jensen, Chechu Nieto

**Publishers:** GMT Games, 狗吠火車

## Where to buy in United States

| Shop | Price | Link |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Cardhaus Games | 65.99 $ | https://www.cardhaus.com/dominant-species-marine/ |
| Miniature Market | 74.99 $ | https://www.miniaturemarket.com/dominant-species-marine-2nd-printing-gmt2009-22.html |
| TLAMA games | 1649 Kč | https://www.tlamagames.com/deskove-hry/dominant-species--morska-rise/ |
| Good Games | 117.5 $ | https://www.goodgames.com.au/products/dominant-species-marine |
| Ludifolie | 74.9 € | https://www.ludifolie.com/23363-dominant-species-marine.html |
| Spilforsyningen | 559.95 kr | https://spilforsyningen.dk/products/dominant-species-machine |
| Philibert | 76.5 € | https://philibertnet.com/fr/phalanx/143643-dominant-species-marine-5906168640254.html |
| World of Board Games | 895 kr | https://www.worldofboardgames.com/dominant-species-marine |
| Spelexperten | 949 kr | https://www.spelexperten.com/sallskapsspel/strategispel/dominant-species-marine.html |
| Gigamesh | 86 € | https://gigamesh.com/dominant-species-marine/ |
| Alphaspel | 979 kr | https://alphaspel.se/491-bradspel/129774-dominant-species-marine |
| Get Your Fun | 89.99 € | https://www.getyourfun.it/033110-dominant-species-marine-giochi-di-guerra.html |
| Games Empire | 159.99 $ | https://gamesempire.com.au/products/dominantspeciesmarine |
| Fantasiapelit | 102.3 € | https://www.fantasiapelit.com/index.php?main=ai&kat=single&mista=indeksi&etsittava=_210197 |

## Similar games

- [Dominant Species](https://www.ludoya.com/games/dominant-species)
- [Vindication: Archive of the Ancients](https://www.ludoya.com/games/vindication-archive-of-the-ancients)
- [Bios: Mesofauna](https://www.ludoya.com/games/bios-mesofauna)
- [Vindication](https://www.ludoya.com/games/vindication)
- [Eclipse: New Dawn for the Galaxy](https://www.ludoya.com/games/eclipse-3)
- [March of the Ants: Evolved Edition](https://www.ludoya.com/games/march-of-the-ants-second-edition)
- [Bios: Megafauna (Second Edition)](https://www.ludoya.com/games/bios-megafauna-second-edition)
- [Oceans](https://www.ludoya.com/games/oceans)
- [Ark Nova](https://www.ludoya.com/games/ark-nova)
- [Reef Encounter](https://www.ludoya.com/games/reef-encounter)
- [Endeavor: Deep Sea Deluxe Edition](https://www.ludoya.com/games/endeavor-deep-sea-deluxe-edition)
- [Cysmic](https://www.ludoya.com/games/cysmic)

## Rules questions

### Can I place a pawn on an action space that already has one of my pawns, or do I have to retrieve it first?

You cannot place a pawn on an action space where you already have a pawn; to use that action again you must first spend a turn retrieving that pawn (placement vs. retrieval rules). (p.9)

### How do I count "matching" and determine "dominance" when I take Domination?

"Matching" is the number of element discs on a tile that match your species' elements, and "dominance" is determined by comparing matching counts between species on that tile to resolve control and scoring when you Dominate. (p.7; Domination action rules p.17)

### When exactly does the food chain slide, and when do we reseed/place elements?

The food chain slides as part of resolving the Abundance action (the slide happens during that action), and elements are reseeded according to the reseed timing specified during Abundance and the Reseed/Resupply rules and events. (p.10; reseed events/endgame p.24)

### If I place a Vent with Tectonics, do I remove animals from tiles and do I get bonus VPs?

When you resolve Tectonics you place Vent tiles and follow the procedure for removing/returning species from affected tiles, and you score any bonus VPs awarded by the Tectonics placement if the stated conditions are met. (p.14)

### When I play an Evolution card do I resolve it immediately, and how are evolution tiles scored?

Evolution cards are selected and resolved during the Evolution action in the order shown, and evolution tiles are scored using the tile scoring table and the Evolution action steps. Specific card effects and resolution details are listed with the evolution rules. (tile scoring & Evolution action p.16; card definitions p.18–21)

### What does Regression do and how many traits/animals can I lose when I use it?

Regression is an action with a defined resolution sequence and limits: you follow the Regression action steps to remove traits or suffer the regression effects, respecting the limits described in the Regression rules. (p.12)

## Links

- [This page](https://www.ludoya.com/games/dominant-species-marine)
- [Dominant Species: Marine in the Ludoya app](https://app.ludoya.com/g/dominant-species-marine)
- [BoardGameGeek entry](https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/262941)

_Data from Ludoya, updated 2026-09-24. Ratings, ownership and play counts are Ludoya's own._